Rhodora Alcaraz was seriously injured after hours of shielding the homeowner’s 3-month-old child during the Wang Fuk Court apartment fire.
Sheet Standard of Hong Kong on November 29 said firefighters found Rhodora Alcaraz clutching a 3-month-old baby in a smoke-filled apartment while searching for survivors in the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Hong Kong. She used her body to shield the child from the fire and toxic smoke for many hours, when the two were trapped and could not escape.
The baby is not in danger of life and is being cared for by his family. Alcaraz was taken to the emergency room, quickly transferred to the intensive care unit and had to be on a ventilator due to lung damage. The Philippines’ Overseas Workers Welfare Authority (OWWA) said she was still in critical condition, but was stable and responding well to medical care.
Alcaraz had just arrived in Hong Kong to work a few days before the fire broke out. Many people in Hong Kong and the Philippines praised her courage and called on employers in the special zone to respect maids.
Rhodora Alcaraz when arriving in Hong Kong. Image: HK01
When the fire broke out on the afternoon of November 26, Reinalyn Niere, a Filipino maid, and the homeowner’s 3-year-old child were sleeping in the third-floor apartment in the Wang Tai building. The baby’s parents were at work at that time.
Niere initially thought her building was not affected, but a friend called to warn that the Wang Tai building was also on fire. Niere carried his uncle’s child and ran into the hallway, which was already thick with smoke, and used his body to shield the child from the flames as he ran downstairs.
Both people also escaped safely. Niere is at the baby’s grandmother’s house, about 1.5 kilometers from the scene. She said her shoulder still hurts from hitting the bamboo scaffolding while running from the building.
The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said that as of November 29, one citizen of this country was killed in the fire, one person was injured and 79 people were safe. The status of the remaining 12 people is being verified.
Hong Kong officials said at least 146 people died in the fire, most of the bodies were discovered at Wang Tai court, and 79 people were injured. About 40 people are still missing, the search process in burned buildings could take about 2-4 weeks.
Fire trucks spray water on buildings at Wang Fuk Court apartment complex, Hong Kong, November 27. Image: AP
The Wang Fuk Court apartment complex, consisting of about 2,000 apartments, started on fire on the afternoon of November 26 and lasted about 40 hours. This is the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in recent decades.
Hong Kong declared three days of mourning, starting November 29, to commemorate the victim. Government headquarters and offices will fly flags at half-mast until December 1.
Director of Hong Kong Security Department Chris Tang said that based on preliminary information, officials believe the fire started from the safety net outside the lower floors of the building and quickly spread upward due to foam panels catching fire, affecting many floors.
Hong Kong police arrested 11 people on charges of corruption and manslaughter in the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex renovation project worth 330 million Hong Kong dollars (more than 42 million USD).